by Mary Davis
She tilted her head. “A kiss doesn’t have to mean anything.”
Doesn’t have to mean anything? It had meant a great deal to him. Had it meant nothing to her? “I think a kiss always means something.”
With narrowed eyes, she studied him for a moment. “Always?”
“Always. How can something so intimate not be?”
She continued to stare at him for a while. “So if a kiss always means something, what did it mean to you?”
Ne, this wasn’t gut. He didn’t want to talk about this. “I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking. Now, stop talking about it before someone hears you.”
She shifted to face him. “Someone once told me that a kiss always means something, so I’ll tell you what it meant to me.”
Was she throwing his words back at him? “I don’t want to know.” But that wasn’t true. He did.
“It meant that we weren’t strangers. That even though I’m not technically Amish, I’m not completely cast aside.”
She’d ignored his request, but it pleased him to know their kiss hadn’t meant nothing to her as she had implied.
She chattered on. “I’ve told you. Now it’s your turn.”
He shook his head. He wasn’t about to say any more than he already had.
She lowered her voice. “Would you like me to tell this growing crowd what we’ve done?”
He straightened. “You wouldn’t. Your vater and your grossvater would never let you leave the haus again.” Nor allow him to see her.
“Wouldn’t I?”
He had no doubt that she would. “As I said, I wasn’t thinking. I was so grateful that you were all right, but that’s no excuse. I still shouldn’t have done that.” But he was glad he had.
All this talk made him want to kiss her again. He should have gone on that walk around the pond.
* * *
When the last fireworks faded overhead, Dori wished for more so this night would never end. The fireworks had seemed more brilliant and spectacular this year, but she didn’t know why. There hadn’t been anything new from years past. She just kept thinking how nice it was to share them with Eli.
People all around the meadow rose, folded up their quilts and blankets and headed for their buggies, like birds being scattered by a predator. Even Daniel and Ruth got to their feet. Eli did not.
Daniel shifted from foot to foot. “Shouldn’t we get the buggy? I don’t want to make Andrew or the bishop angry by not getting the girls home promptly.”
Eli waved a hand toward the cluster of buggies. “Everyone’s crowding around. There’s not enough room for everyone to leave at the same time. Once some are on their way, there will be more room to maneuver. Do you really want to be bunched up on the road behind several other buggies?”
Dori had to hand it to Eli, he was thinking ahead. She certainly didn’t mind spending a little extra time with the blacksmith.
Daniel stared at all the people swarming around the buggies. “I suppose you’re right.” After a couple of minutes, he spoke again. “I’m going over to check on the horse, to be ready when things clear out.”
He headed off.
Ruth caught up to him. “I’ll go with you, Daniel.”
Dori chuckled. “Does meine vater scare him that much?”
“That and the man behind your vater.” Eli stood and held out a hand to her.
She placed hers in his larger one, strong and warm. “What man?”
He pulled her to her feet with little effort on her part. “The bishop.”
My, Eli was strong. “He’s not scary.” Less so since she’d returned a little over a month ago.
Holding her hand longer than necessary, he gazed down at her a moment before answering. “He’s the bishop, therefore he’s scary to a lot of people.”
“You’re not afraid of him, are you?” Would Eli try to kiss her again? No one was around or looking. They were all busy trying to leave.
“I try not to put myself in situations that would cause him to look crossly in meine direction.”
Situations like this?
He continued without a clue as to her thoughts. “Follow the rules, and there’s no need to worry.”
She liked Eli’s self-confidence. Part of the reason she’d left the community was the bishop’s anger toward her. The more he stated his disappointment in her, the more rules she broke, the more displeased he was. On and on it went until she couldn’t take it any longer, and finally left. But he had changed in her absence.
“We should head over to the buggy now.” Eli released her hand and picked up the quilt.
Her hand felt empty and cold without him holding it. When she took a step, a pain shot through her injured hip, and she gasped.
Eli dropped the blanket and took her elbow. “What’s wrong? Is the baby coming already?”
“Ne. Meine bruised hip is sore and stiff from sitting on the ground. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Ja. I’m sure. Go on ahead. I’ll take it slow until it loosens up.”
“I’ll walk with you.”
He didn’t have to do so, but she was glad he did.
By the time they reached the buggy, half of the crowd had already cleared out, making it easier to get around the vehicle. Some of the buggies formed a line leading to the road, while others trotted their horse down the road in one direction or the other. Daniel had theirs all ready. “Do you want me to drive this time?”
Eli shook his head. “I’ll drive.”
Once everyone had climbed aboard and was seated in the same place as before, Eli set the horse into motion. Even with waiting, they weren’t the last buggy to leave the meadow.
Dori leaned back to relieve the pressure on her lungs from the baby and to make it easier to breathe.
Eli glanced at her sideways. “Are you all right? Is your hip all right? Do you need me to stop?”
“I’m fine.”
The baby within shifted to the side of her belly where Eli sat as though it was trying to get closer to him. Dori couldn’t blame the little one. If Dori could figure out how, she would scoot closer, as well.
The buggy wheel dipped into a pothole, rocking the vehicle almost violently. Dori grabbed the side of the seat, then found herself pressed against Eli’s side.
His arm wrapped securely around her shoulders. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” Better now with him closer.
“Sorry about that. I didn’t see the hole in the dark.”
“It couldn’t be helped.” Afraid he might remove his arm and pull away, she leaned her head against his shoulder.
He released the pressure around her as though he might pull his arm away, but he couldn’t without drawing attention to where he’d placed his arm. It relaxed back into place.
The swaying of the buggy lulled Dori and caused her eyelids to grow heavy.
What seemed like a moment later, his hand and arm jiggled her awake. “We’re almost there.”
Dori looked ahead and could see her family home.
Eli removed his arm from around her and turned in the seat to the couple in the back. “We’re here.”
Daniel and Ruth straightened and shifted apart.
As Eli faced front again, he scooted a couple of inches away from Dori.
Instinctively, Dori did so too. She smiled to herself. Had her parents as well Eli’s and Daniel’s parents done the very same thing when they were courting? Not that Eli was courting Dori, because he wasn’t, but the situation would have been similar.
Vater and Mutter sat on the porch of the big haus with Grossvater. Sentries waiting for the wanderers to return.
A reminder of what she didn’t like about the Amish, and the reasons why she wasn’t staying. She needed to stop thinking of Eli the way she had been this past week and
to stop dreaming about another kiss from him. No gut could come of it.
Dori shook her head. “They all came out to see that we behaved.”
Eli chuckled beside her as he turned into the driveway and stopped in front of the big haus.
Daniel helped Ruth down from the buggy.
Eli gripped Dori’s hand firmly. Was it because he wanted to hold her hand? Or because he feared she might fall?
As she climbed down, her foot caught on the step, and she stumbled forward into his arms.
His embrace held her securely on her feet.
Gazing up at him, she longed for him to kiss her good-night. If there wasn’t an audience, would he? Ne. If he did, it would have to mean something, and for him, it couldn’t. Not as long as she wasn’t Amish.
She would never become Amish.
Chapter Fourteen
The summer sped past, and now, on the last day of August, Eli sat in a chair next to Rainbow Girl at the computer in the bishop’s haus. She was updating his website. Again. She seemed to do it every time they met. He received orders for his products regularly, thanks to her, and he was making gut money.
Eli tapped a price on the screen. “You are still charging people too much.”
“Ne. These are market-value prices. You could probably charge even more, and Englishers would pay it.”
“Ne.” He shook his head. “You have the prices too high as it is. It doesn’t cost me that much to make them.”
“That’s what they’re worth. You have a unique skill. You make intricate, beautiful pieces and don’t understand their value to the outside world. Your time and expertise are very valuable.”
He harrumphed. Though he liked earning the prices she put on his work, he didn’t want to cheat people.
“When are you going to get your own computer?” She tapped on the keys. “The church leaders have approved one for you.”
He didn’t want his own computer. He liked working with her. “Why should I get a computer? You would be the one to have to run it for me anyway.”
“You could learn.”
“I don’t want to learn. I only want to make things out of hot iron.” If it weren’t for spending time with her, he wouldn’t be doing any of this.
She drew in a quick, soft breath as she had done every few minutes for the past hour and a half.
“Are you all right?”
Nodding, she released the air in her lungs. “I’m fine. These are what people tell me are practice contractions. Braxton Hicks.”
His breath caught in his throat, and his insides galloped like a runaway horse. “Is the baby coming? Now?”
“Ne, ne.” She pushed her chair away from the table and stood. “I’ll be right back.” When she reached the hallway, she gripped the wall and bent over, sucking in air between her teeth.
Eli jumped up and hurried to her side. “You aren’t all right, are you?”
She didn’t answer but shook her head, then contradicted that action with a nod.
Was that a ja or ne? “I don’t know what that means. Tell me what to do.”
A moment later, she straightened and breathed normally. “I think that might have been more than practice. It was a lot stronger than the others.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think I’m in labor.”
“The baby’s coming?” Eli jerked his head about, looking around. “Where’s the bishop?”
“Out visiting, but he wouldn’t be much gut. Go to the big haus and tell meine mutter.”
“All right.” He dashed for the door.
“Eli?” Rainbow Girl’s strained voice stopped him in his tracks.
He swung around. “What?”
“Would you bring me a chair?”
He brought her one of the straight-backed ones from the table. “Maybe I shouldn’t leave you.”
“Unless you plan to deliver this baby, get Mutter. Now.”
He swallowed hard and ran out the door. He pounded on the door of the big haus. When no answer came, he let himself in. “Hallo?” Nobody replied, and a quick search yielded an empty haus.
He ran back to the dawdy haus.
Rainbow Girl still sat in the chair at the entrance to the hall.
“Your mutter wasn’t there. No one was.” That meant there were two lives in his hands, Rainbow Girl’s and her baby’s. “I don’t know how to help you. What should I do? I can go get someone else.”
She shook her head. “That would take too long. Go hitch up a buggy and drive me to the clinic.”
He breathed easier. He wasn’t going to have to... Don’t think about it.
He’d never hitched up a buggy so fast. He pulled it to the front of the dawdy haus and ran inside.
Rainbow Girl stood with her hands braced on the table, breathing erratically and moaning.
“Please don’t have the baby right now.”
Rainbow Girl shook her head, and her breathing steadied. “I’m fine. Just get me to the doctor’s.” She took a step and faltered.
This would be too slow. Eli scooped her up into his arms. “How many pains have you had while I was getting the buggy?”
“Just that one.”
Gut. There was still time.
He carried Rainbow Girl to the waiting buggy. After placing her on the seat, he climbed in and set the horse into motion. When the vehicle jerked forward, she sucked in a breath.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
She spoke through gritted teeth. “Too bumpy.”
“I can’t help that. Do you want me to stop?”
“Ne. Just keep going. Get me there as fast as you can.”
He urged Dutch to pull the buggy as quickly as he could.
A few minutes down the road, Rainbow Girl straightened. “Go back. I left meine phone on the table.”
“Ne.”
“But we should call ahead to the clinic and let them know we’re coming.”
She was thinking like the English.
“Ne.” He couldn’t risk her having the baby in the buggy. That would be bad. “The doctor will understand us coming unannounced.”
Rainbow Girl gripped his arm. “Eli?”
“Ja.”
“I’m scared.”
He was too, more than he could have imagined. “Everything will be all right.” As long as they arrived in time.
“Danki.”
He prayed the whole way while keeping one eye on Rainbow Girl. It seemed like forever before the clinic came into view. Please, let the doctor be there. A buggy sat out front. Gut. That likely meant that she had a patient and was there. He hauled back on the reins until the horse stopped. He set the brake and scooped Rainbow Girl up into his arms again.
“I can walk.” She sucked in a breath between her teeth.
“This is faster.” The sooner he could turn her over to someone else’s care—someone who knew what to do—the better for both of them, ne, all three of them. But he rather liked having her in his arms.
Rainbow Girl turned the knob, and he pushed the door open with his foot.
The Miller family crowded the waiting area.
Moaning came from one of the rear rooms.
A loud female voice called from the same vicinity, “I can’t see any other patients right now. You’ll have to come back tomorrow.”
Eli glanced from one wide-eyed Miller face to another. He spoke to them. “We can’t. She’s having a baby.”
Deborah Miller wove between her family members and trotted to the back.
Young, almond-eyed Sarah Miller, the youngest, stood next to Eli and stared up at him. “Mutter is having our baby now.”
“Oh, dear.” What would that mean for Rainbow Girl?
Rainbow Girl patted his hand. “Set me down.”
Before he c
ould, Dr. Kathleen came out. “Busy day. Bring her into meine office.”
Eli followed the doctor.
“Have her sit in a chair until meine husband can pull down the extra bed.”
Eli gingerly lowered Rainbow Girl to her feet. “I can do that.”
“That would be gut. I’ll send meine sister in to help you.” The doctor smiled at the mutter-to-be. “How far apart are your contractions?”
“A few minutes or so.”
“They come about every seven or eight minutes.” He’d been timing them on the ride here. “They’re getting closer all the time.”
Both women stared at him for a moment.
“What?” When his youngest sister was on the way, it had been Eli’s job to time the contractions while his vater went for the midwife.
The doctor nodded. “I’ll return in a few minutes. I’ll send Jessica in. Keep timing her contractions.” She left.
A moment later, Jessica entered and walked to Rainbow Girl. “We need to move you to the end of the desk beside the bookcase to make room for the bed. Let me know when the next contraction ends?”
Rainbow Girl nodded.
“She’s about to start one.” It had been nearly seven minutes since the last one.
Rainbow Girl pinned him with a stare. “How do you know?”
“I have a gut sense of time.” He held up his wrist. “And a watch.”
Rainbow Girl sucked in a breath. “He’s right.” She moaned.
Eli couldn’t wait, grabbing the back of her chair and pulling it along with her into place. “Why does she need to be over here?”
Jessica moved across the room and pointed toward the top of the paneled wall. “There are wooden catches on each side that need to be turned vertical. Then the Murphy bed can be lowered.”
He twisted the catches and lowered the bed.
Jessica held up an index finger. “Oops! Let me go grab some bed linens and a pillow.” She did and had the bed made in a snap.
After Rainbow Girl’s next contraction, Eli carried her, against her protests, to the bed and set her on it.
“You know I can still walk.”
“Not when one of those pains hits you. It’s faster if I carry you, then you don’t risk falling.” He pointed toward the door. “I’ll wait out there.”
